According to ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, the process by which you will upgrade to Windows 8.1’s public preview this June 26th won’t be too involved, but if you do choose to make the leap before the software is done, you can expect a minor headache later on.
To move to the Windows 8.1 preview when the time comes, current users of Windows 8 and Windows RT will be pinged with a note from Windows Update. According to Foley, that note will “trigger the new bits to show up in the Windows Store.” At that point, you get to decide if you want to install the code or not.
If you care enough to go find the software in the store, however, I suspect that you are going to click ‘let’s go.’
Now to the kicker: there is a price to pay for testing the preview code. If you do make the hop to Windows 8.1 before it reaches general availability later in 2013, you will be forced to reinstall your applications. Naturally, your information and accounts will be perserved, but you will need to re-download your chosen apps; you can choose to view this as a forced spring cleaning, but that doesn’t make it any less a chore.
Users who wait for what is coming won’t have to reinstall their applications. I’m unsure why preview users will enjoy the privilege, but there you are.
Build is all but upon us, get ready.
Top Image Credit: Dell Inc.
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